Conclusion of the Digital Health Innovation Hackathon “Healthon”
King Saud University concluded today the activities of the first edition of the Digital Health Innovation Hackathon, “Healthon,” organized by the University Medical City, and attended by Acting University President Dr. Abdullah bin Salman Al-Salman.
Engineer Mubarak Al-Shahrani, Executive Director of Technology and Digital Transformation at the university and General Supervisor of the hackathon, explained that organizing “Healthon” stems from the university’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and creativity in addressing health challenges. The hackathon featured six main tracks, including: smart healthcare solutions, chronic disease management and health improvement through the Internet of Things, predictive healthcare using artificial intelligence, user experience in data presentation and access to health services, cybersecurity in healthcare, and big health data analytics.
The event targeted several key groups, including healthcare professionals, practitioners, technologists, innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and university students in health, technology, and related disciplines.
Participating projects were comprehensively evaluated by a specialized judging panel comprising experts in healthcare, technology, research, and innovation. The shortlisted projects were then submitted for final auditing by the designated committee, which announced the top three winning teams in each track. Financial prizes totaling more than 600,000 SAR were awarded, along with opportunities for incubation and further development of the winning projects through public and private sector support programs, incubators, and business accelerators.
The hackathon was supported by 19 governmental and private entities including the strategic partner, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, represented by the Digital Entrepreneurship Center. In addition to key success partners: the National Cybersecurity Authority, the Digital Government Authority, the Authority for Efficiency and Government Projects Spending, the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property, the Saudi Health Council, the Research, Development, and Innovation Authority, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, the National Institute for Health Research, and the Mawhiba Foundation.
